Rutgers improved to 5-0 in the Big East and moved a step closer to clinching the league title after beating Cincinnati, 10-3.

This was an elimination game for the Bearcats. Cincinnati now has lost to Louisville and Rutgers. Louisville has a Big East loss to Syracuse. Louisville plays Connecticut next week, then ends the season on Nov. 29 at Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights, meanwhile, have a tough opponent in Pittsburgh next week before meeting the Cardinals.

Rutgers vs. Cincinnati: Savon Huggins and the Scarlet Knights stayed unbeaten in Big East play with the win over the Bearcats. (AP Photo)

For now, Rutgers has continued to march in the right direction, while Louisville had a bye week. The two are seemingly set for a Big East title tussle at season’s end. But before that, the Scarlet Knights had to encounter the Bearcats in Cincinnati.

The only scores came when Gary Nova connected with Mark Harrison on a 71-yard touchdown with 6:13 left in the second quarter. In the fourth, Nick Borgese booted a 42-yard field goal.

The Bearcats’ Tony Milliano connected on a 36-yard field goal with 11 seconds left, then Cincy tried to recover an onside kick that was securely fielded by the Scarlet Knights.

Rutgers also did not have the full use of starting running back Jawan Jamison. He left the game with four carries and 37 yards as he tried to play through an ankle injury. Savon Huggins replaced him and ended with 180 rushing yards and a whopping 41 carries.

But it was the Scarlet Knights’ run defense that deserves some credit here: The unit yielded a meager 90 rushing yards all day.